LOS ANGELES—Center Joshua Smith is quitting UCLA's basketball team and the school gave him his immediate release.
He's the second player to leave the program recently. Junior guard Tyler Lamb said last weekend that he would transfer to another school to pursue more playing time.

Smith says he's leaving the Bruins for "personal reasons," although he says he enjoyed his two-plus seasons with the program.
The junior averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while playing 13.5 minutes a game in UCLA's six games this season.

Coach Ben Howland called Smith "a fine young man who has meant a lot to this program."
Smith started 24 of 65 games during his first two seasons, which were marked by struggles with weight and conditioning.

What a waste of talent, it makes guys like me that would kill to have a shot in the league hate him; if he would've lost 40 pounds and really commited to his game; he could've been a 15-20 pick in any draft. Good riddance if you ask me

I think they'll be a better team after these 2 defections. Shorter rotations= more continuity= more familiarity= better chemistry.
Smith was a big fat net negative who struggled changing ends. Lamb was nothing special at all who'd struggle to get minutes behind 'Bazz and Adams.

if this season doesnt end well, then ben probably will be gone. All ucla fans are dissapointed with the way things have been going recently.

However, this josh smith sitation is far from ben's fault and people who do want to criticize howland should not use this as an example. He pushed smitha lot. And each year when smith was not able to get in better shape, his mintes dropped as they should have. Now its tony parkers turn to show what he can do.